Spring 2012 Jewish Studies Courses

Jewish Studies 032.401 Beginning Yiddish II Botwinik TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 034.401 Intermediate Yiddish II Botwinik TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 051.401 Elementary Modern Hebrew I Sataty MW 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 052.401 Elementary Modern Hebrew II Sataty MW 11:00-12:00 and TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 052.402 Elementary Modern Hebrew II Sataty MW 12:00-1:00 and TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 053.401 Intermediate Modern Hebrew III Benatov MW 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 054.401 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Benatov MW 11:00-12:00 and TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 054.402 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Benatov MW 12:00-1:00 and TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 054.403 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Engel MW 12:00-1:00 and TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 059.401 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Reading and Composition Engel TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 100.401 Performing Judaism Fishman TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 102.401 Modern Hebrew Literature & Culture in Translation: Israeli Film and Literature: Voices Gold TR 1:30-3:00
Jewish Studies 102.402 Jewish Humor Ben-Amos TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 103.401 Dreams in Jewish Culture and Tradition Schur M 2:00-5:00
Jewish Studies 122.401 Religions of the West Reed MW 11:00-12:00 (plus recitation)
Jewish Studies 124.401 Archaeology and the Bible Levine TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 151.401 Great Books of Judaism Carasik TR 4:30-6:30
Jewish Studies 156.401 Jews and Judaism in Antiquity: History of Jewish Civilization I Dohrmann MW 3:30-5:00
Jewish Studies 158.401 Jews in the Modern World: History of Jewish Civilization III Wenger TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 172.401 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II Carasik MW 3:30-5:00
Jewish Studies 174.401 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II Carasik MW 5:00-6:30
Jewish Studies 213.401 The Religious Other Fishman TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 225.401 Dead Sea Scrolls Reed TR 12:00-1:30
Jewish Studies 236.402 Israeli Collective Memory Feldman M 2:00-5:00
Jewish Studies 255.401 Bible in Translation: Psalms Weiss TR 4:30-6:30
Jewish Studies 359.401 Seminar in Modern Hebrew Literature: Representations of the City Gold TR 10:30-12:00
Jewish Studies 390.301 Senior Research Seminar TBA
Jewish Studies 449.401 God and Nature: Readings on the Encounter Between Jewish Thought and Science Ruderman M 12:00-3:00
Jewish Studies 538.401 Jews in Greek and Roman World Wilker MW 3:00-4:30
Jewish Studies 540.401 Memory, Trauma and Culture Weissberg T 2:00-4:00


College of Liberal and Professional Studies
Jewish Studies 232.680 Studies in Ladino II Braverman T 1:00-4:00

Related Courses
ENGL 221.401 Medieval Performances Steiner W 2:00-5:00
GRMN 253.401 Freud Weissberg TR 10:30-12:00 (plus recitation)
HIST 520.301 The Mediterranean in History Goldberg F 2:00-5:00 [This course is especially useful for graduate students pursuing some aspect of Mediterranean Jewish History.]
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JWST 032.401 Beginning Yiddish II Botwinik
Yiddish is a 1000-year-old language with a rich heritage. In this course you can continue to develop basic reading, writing and speaking skills. Discover treasures of Yiddish culture: songs, literature, folklore, and films. (YDSH 102, YDSH 502)
Time: TR 12:00-1:30
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JWST 034.401 Intermediate Yiddish II Botwinik
A continuation of Intermediate Yiddish I. Emphasis on reading texts and conversation. (YDSH 104, YDSH 504)
Time: TR 1:30-3:00
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JWST 051.401 Elementary Modern Hebrew I Sataty

An introduction to the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew. This course assumes no previous knowledge of Hebrew. (HEBR 051, HEBR 651)

Time: MW 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-3:00
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JWST 052.401 Elementary Modern Hebrew II Sataty

A continuation of HEBR 051, First Year Modern Hebrew, which assumes basic skills of reading and speaking and the use of the present tense. Open to all students who have completed one semester of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 051 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 052, HEBR 652)

Time: MW 11:00-12:00 and TR 1:30-3:00
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JWST 052.402 Elementary Modern Hebrew II Sataty
A continuation of HEBR 051, First Year Modern Hebrew, which assumes basic skills of reading and speaking and the use of the present tense. Open to all students who have completed one semester of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 051 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 052, HEBR 652)
Time: MW 12:00-1:00 and TR 12:00-1:30
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JWST 053.401 Intermediate Modern Hebrew III Benatov

Development of the skills of reading, writing, and conversing in modern Hebrew on an intermediate level. Open to all students who have completed two semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 052 or permission of the instructor. (HEBR 053, HEBR 653)

Time: MW 1:00-2:00 and TR 1:30-3:00
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JWST 054.401 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Benatov
This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 053 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 054, HEBR 654)
Time: MW 11:00-12:00 and TR 10:30-12:00
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JWST 054.402 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Benatov

This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 053 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 054, HEBR 654)

Time: MW 12:00-1:00 and TR 12:00-1:30
JWST 054.403 Intermediate Modern Hebrew IV Engel

This course constitutes the final semester of Intermediate Modern Hebrew. Emphasis will be placed on grammar skills and ability to read literary texts. Open to all students who have completed three semesters of Hebrew at Penn with a grade of B- or above and new students with equivalent competency. HEBR 053 or permission of instructor. (HEBR 054, HEBR 654)

Time: MW 12:00-1:00 and TR 12:00-1:30

JWST 059.401 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Reading and Composition Engel

Further development of reading, writing, and speaking skills in modern Hebrew. The course is designed for students who have completed the basic language courses (or passed the Department's placement test at the appropriate level). Reading and discussion of contemporary Israeli journalism and Hebrew literature in the original -- creative writing and development of conversation skills, accompanied by visual material from films and the internet. Students will be expected to give a classroom presentation and to write short essays. Prerequisite(s): HEBR 054 or permission of instructor. Since the content of this course may change from year to year, students may take it more than once (but only once for credit). Fulfills Wharton Global. (HEBR 059, HEBR 552)

Time: TR 1:30-3:00
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JWST 100.401 Performing Judaism Fishman

Though Judaism is rightly known as a culture that exalts the study of text, performance of rituals is no less important for adherents who seek to fulfill divine command, rabbinic obligation and/or communal expectation. Christian thinkers in medieval and early modern Europe identified Jewish "ceremonial law" as a component of sacred Scripture whose authority had expired, and they ridiculed Jews for practicing "carnal" rather than "spiritual" religion. This course has a two-fold focus: Drawing on the insights of anthropology and ritual theory, students will explore the cultural logic of a range of concrete practices undertaken by Israelites and Jews in different geographic locales, from biblical times through the present. Students will also examine the perception and portrayal of Jewish customs in Christian theological, political and proto-ethnographic writings from the 7th -16th centuries. Readings from primary sources will be in English translation. Seminar. Fulfills History & Tradition Sector. (ANTH 129, NELC 252, NELC 552, RELS 129)

Time: TR 1:30-3:00
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JWST 102.401 Modern Hebrew Literature & Culture in Translation: Israeli Film and Literature: Voices Gold

This course will listen and respond to previously unheard Israeli literary and cinematic expressions of "others," such as new immigrants, women, Arabs, gays, orthodox Jews, first and second generations of Holocaust survivors, and those of Middle Eastern descent. Their varied voices, which deviate from the central narrative, were allowed to be heard in Israeli culture only in the late 20th century with the debates over Postmodernist attitudes and practices. The Zionist super-narrative dominated Israeli literature and film at its inception. Authors and directors were predominantly Israeli-born (or educated), Ashkenazi (of European descent) males who tackled the nationalistic, territory- based aspirations of the people. Now that the "periphery" has invaded the "center," a cacophony of voices, a kaleidoscope of images, replaces the mainstream ideological search for a Zionist utopia. We will analyze this phenomenon through the different languages of film, prose and poetry, and examine how postmodernist and subversive writers and directors use symbol and metaphor, color and light, close-up and flashback to capture an outsider's experience. There will be 5 film screenings. The films will be placed on reserve at the library for those unable to attend the screenings.The content of this course changes from year to year, and therefore, students may take it for credit more than once. Fulfills Arts & Letters Sector and Cross Cultural Analysis. (NELC 159, COML 282, CINE 159)

Time: TR 1:30-3:00
JWST 102.402 Jewish Humor Ben-Amos

This course examines Jewish humor in the context of folklore research and the studies of ethnic humor. We will explore the particular circumstances surrounding the development of the concept of Jewish humor in scholarly literature and popular writings, and bring into the discussion general theories of humor as formulated in folklore, philosophy, psychology and anthropology. Course requirements: A field-based term paper and mid-term and final examinations. Fulfills Arts & Letters Sector. (NELC 254, FOLK 296, COML 259)

Time: TR 10:30-12:00
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JWST 103.401 Dreams in Jewish Culture and Tradition Schur

This Freshman Seminar explores narratives about dreams and their interpretations in the Bible, rabbinic texts, medieval texts (e.g. mystical, philosophical works, stories, etc.) and in the works of modern Jewish writers and artists such as Freud, Kafka, and Chagall. Freshman Seminar. Fulfills Cross Cultural Analysis. (HIST 101, RELS 026)

Time: M 2:00-5:00
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JWST 122.401 Religions of the West Reed

This course surveys some of the core beliefs and practices within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. To do so, we will focus on history and memory, exploring how key figures and formative events from the past have been made present, from generation to generation, through scripture, ritual, liturgy, and remembrance. Special attention will be given to points of intersection and interaction between Jews, Christians, and Muslims, as well as to the impact of their intertwined histories on the formation and development of Western cultures. Fulfills History & Tradition Sector. (RELS 002)

Time: MW 11:00-12:00 (plus recitation)
JWST 124.401 Arthaeology and the Bible Levine

The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and archaeological research provide distinct, and at times conflicting, accounts of the origins and development of ancient Israel and its neighbors. Religion, culture and politics ensure that such accounts of the past have significant implications for the world we live in today. In this course we will discuss the latest archaeological) research from Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan as it relates to the Bible, moving from Creation to the Babylonian Exile. Students will critically engage the best of both biblical and archaeological scholarship.Open discussions of the religious, social and political implications of the material covered will be an important aspect of the course. (ANTH 124, NELC 155, RELS 024)

Time: TR 10:30-12:00
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JWST 151.401 Great Books of Judaism Carasik

The study of four paradigmatic and classic Jewish texts so as to introduce students to the literature of classic Judaism. Each text will be studied historically -- "excavated" for its sources and roots -- and holistically, as a canonical document in Jewish tradition. While each text will inevitably raise its own set of issues, we will deal throughout the semester with two basic questions: What makes a "Jewish" text? And how do these texts represent different aspects of Jewish identity? All readings will be in translation. No background or Hebrew is necessary.
Seminar. Fulfills Arts & Letters Sector. (COML 057, NELC 156, NELC 456, RELS 027)

Time: TR 4:30-6:30
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JWST 156.401 Jews and Judaism in Antiquity: History of Jewish Civilization I Dohrmann

The course is an overview of Jewish history, culture, and society from its biblical settings through the Hellenistic-Roman, and rabbinic periods. We will trace the political, social, and intellectual-religious, and literary development of Judaism from its beginnings through the Second Temple period to the formation and evolution of Rabbinic Judaism. Topics to be covered include: the evolution of biblical thought and religious practice over time; Jewish writing and literary genres; varieties of Judaism; Judaism and Imperialism; the emergence of the rabbinic class and institutions. Fulfills History & Tradition Sector and Cross Cultural Analysis. (HIST 139, RELS 120, NELC 051, NELC 451)

Time: MW 3:30-5:00
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JWST 158.401 Jews in the Modern World: History of Jewish Civilization III Wenger
This course offers an intensive survey of the major currents in Jewish culture and society from the early modern period to the present. Focusing upon the different societies in which Jews have lived, the course explores Jewish responses to the political, socio-economic, and cultural challenges of modernity. Topics to be covered include the political emancipation of Jews, the creation of new religious movements within Judaism, Jewish socialism, Zionism, the Holocaust, and the emergence of new Jewish communities in Israel and the United States. No prior background in Jewish history is expected. Fulfills History & Tradition Sector. (HIST 141)
Time: TR 12:00-1:30

JWST 172.401 Elementary Biblical Hebrew II Carasik

A continued introduction to the grammar of Elementary Biblical Hebrew I, focusing on the verbal system, with an emphasis on developing language skills in handling Biblical texts. A suitable entry point for students who have had some modern Hebrew. (HEBR 152, HEBR 452, JWST 472)

Time: MW 3:30-5:00
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JWST 174.401 Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II Carasik
This course is a continuation of the Fall semester's Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I. It will continue to focus on using the grammar and vocabulary learned at the introductory level to be able to read biblical texts independently and take advanced Bible exegesis courses. We will concentrate this semester on various selections of Biblical poetry, including Exodus 15 and Job 28. We will also continue to translate English prose into Biblical Hebrew. (HEBR 154, HEBR 454, JWST 474)
Time: MW 5:00-6:30
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JWST 213.401

The Religious Other Fishman
This course explores attitudes toward monotheists of other faiths, and claims made about these "religious others" -- their bodies, habits and beliefs -- in real and imagined encounters between Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages. Primary source readings from law, theology, literature, art and polemics. Attention will be paid to myths about the other, inter-group violence, converts, and cases of cross-cultural influence both conscious and unconscious. Seminar. (RELS 203, COML 205, NELC 383)
Time: TR 10:30-12:00
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ENGL 221.401 Medieval Performances Steiner
Medieval literature is a literature deeply indebted to performative practices such as inquisition, revelation, confession, sacramentality, confession, miracle, and pilgrimage. In this course, we will read twentieth-century performance and linguistic theory alongside a wide variety of medieval texts written and performed in England between about 1200 and 1500. We will be reading plays from the great fifteenth-century biblical cycles performed on Corpus Christi day; sensational miracle tales; heresy trial records; saints' lives; selections from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Piers Plowman. Students will be asked to compose weekly reading responses, give an oral presentation in class, and write a final research paper (or final performance). Students are welcome from disciplines other than English, especially Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Judaic Studies, History, Religious Studies, and Women's Studies, among others. Seminar. (GSWS 223, COML 221)
Time: W 2:00-5:00
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JWST 225.401 Dead Sea Scrolls Reed
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has revolutionized our understanding of ancient Judaism. This course will explore the significance of these texts for our understanding of the early transmission and interpretation of biblical literature; the development of Jewish liturgy, law, and "magic"; the flowering of Jewish apocalypticism and messianism in Second Temple times; and the Jewish background of early Christianity. Seminar. (RELS 225)
Time: TR 12:00-1:30
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JWST 232.680 Studies in Ladino II Braverman
The course will explore the origins of Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) in Spain and trace its historical and linguistic development. Linguistic differences between various dialects of the language will be described and the various components of the language analyzed. Students will learn contemporary Judeo-Spanish through a study of dialogues, poetry, songs, contemporary and historical texts and original materials. Seminar.
Time: T 1:00-4:00

JWST 236.402 Israeli Collective Memory Feldman
The course presents a variety of Israeli understandings of the past that impact on the present, and explores the dynamic relations between space and memory in commemorative sites and rituals in Israel. The sites and rites to be studied include: Holocaust monuments and ceremonies, archaeological and heritage sites, military cemeteries and monuments, knowledge of the land hikes, roots tours and more. Readings on Israeli cases will be integrated with background on collective memory and several comparative articles, so that students may understand the Israeli politics of representation within larger worldwide contexts, and come to reflect on their own collective myths and identities through the Israeli case. Seminar. (SOCI 231, NELC 286)
Time: M 2:00-5:00

GRMN 253.401 Freud Weissberg
No other person of the twentieth century has probably influenced scientific thought, humanistic scholarship, medical therapy, and popular culture as much as Sigmund Freud. This course will study his work, its cultural background, and its impact on us today. In the first part of the course, we will learn about Freud's life and the Viennese culture of his time. We will then move to a discussion of seminal texts, such as excerpts from his Interpretation of Dreams, case studies, as well as essays on psychoanalytic practice, human development, definitions of gender and sex, neuroses, and culture in general. In the final part of the course, we will discuss the impact of Freud's work. Guest lectureres from the medical field, history of science, psychology, and the humnities will offer insights into the reception of Freud's work, and its consequences for various fields of study and therapy. Fulfills Humanities & Social Science Sector. (GSWS 252, HSOC 253, COML 253, ENGL 105, STSC 253)
Time: TR 10:30-12:00 (plus recitation)
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JWST 255.401 Bible in Translation: Psalms Weiss
For thousands of years, people have turned to the biblical book of Psalms in times of joy, anxiety, crisis, and gratitude. This course aims to understand the enduring allure of the book of Psalms by exploring the literary structure, historical context, and meaning of selected psalms. Using primary and secondary sources, this course will focus on psalms relevant to various faith traditions and psalms that raise interesting interpretive issues and ideas. Seminar. Fulfills Cross Cultural Analysis. (NELC 250, COML 380, RELS 224, NELC 550)
Time: TR 4:30-6:30

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JWST 359.401 Seminar in Modern Hebrew Literature: The Hebrew Short Story: Reflecting a Nation in Flux Gold
This course focuses on the artistic ways in which the city, be it Jerusalem, Haifa or Tiberias, is represented in Israeli literature. The emotional and physical connection between the writer and his/her place of dwelling is transformed in the literary work. The depiction of the city in prose and poetry reflects the inner world as well as ideological and political conflicts. The "city" may become a locus for national expression, of gender identification, or even of pure aesthetic enchantment. We will analyze how, through her portrayals of the Carmel Mountain and the Haifa bay, Yehudit Katzir expresses the complex bond with her mother; how Tel Aviv's streets enable Dahlia Ravikovitch and Meir Wieseltier to examine questions of loyalty; how the Jerusalems of A.B. Yehoshua and Yehuda Amichai reflect their loves and hatreds. The class is conducted in Hebrew and the texts are read in the original. The syllabus serves solely as an outline. The amount of material we cover depends on the pace of the class. Additionally, the packet contains significantly more material than will be studied in class to compensate for the difficulty of obtaining Hebrew texts in America.The content of this course changes from year to year; therefore students may take it for credit more than once. Seminar. Fulfills Literatures of the World, Arts & Letters Sector and Cross Cultural Analysis (COLL 227, HEBR 359, COML 359, HEBR 659, CINE 359)
Time: TR 10:30-12:00
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JWST 390.301 Senior Research Seminar Staff
JWST 390 is required of all students majoring in the Interdisciplinary Jewish Studies major, but all majors and minors in the various departmental programs are encouraged to take the seminar. Students will conduct independent research and complete a 20-30 page paper. Permission of instructor required to enroll.
Time: TBA

JWST 449.401 God and Nature: Readings on the Encounter Between Jewish Thought and Science Ruderman
God and Nature examines the place of the natural world, medicine, and science in Jewish thought from antiquity to the modern era. It looks especially at a body of primary sources in Hebrew written during the age of the so-called "scientific revolution" and during its aftermath. The course is a seminar open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates with a good reading knowledge of classical Hebrew. Students interested in joining the course should contact
the instructor directly for more information. Seminar. (HIST 449, RELS 422)
Time: M 12:00-3:00

HIST 520.301 The Mediterranean in History Goldberg

For more than a century, 'The Mediterranean' has not only been the subject of intense and creative historical inquiry, it is the arena in which scholars from several disciplines have tested out ways to write about the past beyond the confines of political boundaries. In this course, we explore both the history of the Mediterranean, and the history of writing about the Mediterranean. We will read a variety of debates in Mediterranean history written over the past century, and covering the topics across the period from Antiquity to the Early Modern era. We will explore several intersecting problems in this historiography: what kinds of topics, methodologies, and questions can successfully be brought to the Mediterranean in particular, or history defined by a sea in general? How do debates in one period or discipline of Mediterranean history help illuminate or re-fresh narratives in other areas? This course is designed to familiarize students working in a variety of Mediterranean fields with an overview of the historiographic landscape. As this is primarily a reading course, assignments will include a book review, an annotated area bibliography, and a final bibliographic essay.

Time: F 2:00-5:00
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JWST 538.401 Jews in Greek and Roman World Wilker
The history of the Jewish people in the Greek and Roman world has often been interpreted as a history dominated by conflict and hostility. Other approaches, however, have questioned these concepts as too simplistic. In this seminar, we will discuss the social, political, cultural and religious interaction between Jews and non-Jews from the Hellenistic period until the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism. Special emphasis will be laid upon questions of identity, antagonism and coexistence in the diaspora as well as in Judea. Based upon literary, documentary and archaeological sources, topics to be covered include Jewish self-definitions in a predominantly pagan world, different modes of integration, Jewish receptions of Greco-Roman culture, and perceptions of Jews by non-Jewish authors. Seminar. (ANCH 538)
Time: MW 3:00-4:30
JWST 540.401 Memory, Trauma and Culture Weissberg
In recent years, studies of memory (both individual and cultural) have rivaled those of history, and have produced alternative narratives of events. At the same time, research has also focused on the rupture of narrative, the inability to find appropriate forms of telling, and the experience of a loss of words. The notion of trauma (Greek for gwoundh) may stand for such a rupture. Many kinds of narratives, most prominently the recollections of Holocaust survivors, are instances in which memories are invoked not only to come to terms with traumatic events, but also to inscribe trauma in various ways. In this seminar, we will read theoretical work on memory and trauma, discuss their implication for the study of literature, art, and culture, read select examples from Holocaust survivors' autobiographies (i.e. Primo Levi, Eli Wiesel), and discuss visual art (i.e. Boltanski, Kiefer) and film (i.e. Resnais, Lanzmann, Spielberg). All readings and lectures in English. Seminar. (COML 539, ENGL 588, GRMN 540)
Time: T 2:00-4:00


 


Map of Jerusalem from v.1 p.174 of Cunaeus, Petrus. La republique des Hebreux. Amsterdam : Freres Chatelain, 1713.



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